Mess
by IrishIsis
Summary: Liz is a senior in high school. Will is her boyfriend's best friend. A messed up version of Pride and Prejudice. Please review!
1. The Arrival

Author's Note: Okay, so this is my first fanfiction story. Tell me what you think. Advice is much appreciated. I hope to be writing more soon.

Disclaimer: I wish I could write like Jane Austen, but I can't.

CHAPTER ONE---THE ARRIVAL

"Hey Liz!"

Liz turned around. She smiled as she recognized the person in front of her. "Hi, Charlie." She reached for him and gave him a warm hug.

Charlie looked offended. "What... no kiss for your boyfriend? Your dedicated boyfriend, I might add, who's been waiting for you here for over half an hour!"

Liz laughed. "Well, if you insist..." She proceeded to give him a big fat kiss right on the lips.

"Now that was much better," said Charlie, with a grin. "I'd almost forgotten why I even bother with you." Liz slapped his arm. Charlie gave a pathetic Hey! trying desperately not to laugh. "I said almost, didn't I?"

Both Liz and Charlie started to make their way out of the airport. People everywhere were rushing about, trying to get to their flights on time. Liz grinned to herself. She had yet to be on a plane that wasn't somewhat delayed. Hurrying to catch a flight seemed completely pointless to her.

"So, did you have a good trip?" Charlie asked.

She almost snorted. "The trip was terrible. Being stuck in an airplane for eight hours straight is not my idea of fun. Actually being in France, on the other hand, was awesome."

She had always wanted to go to Europe, especially France. She knew about all the stereotypes, but she didn't care even if they were true. On her trip, she got to see that they weren't. Well, except for maybe the one about having too many smokers in France...

Charlie smiled. "That's great. What did you see?"

Where to begin? "Well, Paris was my main destination. I got to go to all the tourist hotspots, like the Eiffel Tower and Versailles. Oh my gosh, did you know there was a POST OFFICE in Eiffel Tower?" The more she talked, the more excited she became. "I just couldn't believe it! And Versailles! The gardens were just so beautiful. I even got to row a boat in one of the garden ponds. Oh! And I also got to visit the Musée d' Orsay. Who would have thought to put a museum in an old train station? It was really great." Liz finally paused for breath.

"Wow... that'll teach me to ask about your visit. I guess I must have also forgotten how much you like to ramble on about France." Liz didn't hesitate to slap him lightly again. Charlie exclaimed, "Two in a row! You must be on a roll!" Liz gave him an overly enthusiastic smile.

By this time, they had reached the outside of the airport. Liz breathed deeply. She hated airports. She hated the smell, the feel, everything. However, she loved to travel and explore new locations. Not exactly a very convenient combination, she thought.

Charlie led her through the parking lot. He stopped in front of a green Honda civic. There appeared to be a person in the front passenger seat. Liz frowned, "Who is that?"

Charlie looked to where Liz was pointing. He smiled. "Oh, that's Will. We've been best friends since elementary school. He's transferring to our school this year. I thought it would be cool if you guys could meet before the school year started."

Liz gave him a look that clearly had the meaning You thought what? attached. Charlie laughed. "Don't worry. You'll love him..."

Will looked around the parking lot and wondered what the heck he was doing here. Charlie had simply appeared on Will's front porch a few hours ago and said, "Hey! How's it going?" Will hadn't seen Charlie in years, but their easy friendship had never broken apart. As soon as they were reunited, things seemed to pick up where they had left off.

Will first met Charlie in first grade. Will was shy and mostly kept to himself, but Charlie befriended him anyway. The two seemed like complete opposites, both in their physical appearance and their personality. Charlie was outgoing and could make friends with everyone. His blond hair and blue eyes gave him an "All-American" appearance. In contrast, Will had few friends and was very reclusive. His shy nature made it hard for him to bond with strangers. With black hair and piercing green eyes, along with an incredibly tall body, people who weren't thrown off by his personality were intimidated by his looks.

Despite their differences, the two remained friends, even when Will was sent to private school. They would occasionally meet and hang out together throughout the school year and during the summer. All that changed with the beginning of high school, however. Not one word had been spoken between the two since freshman year. That is, until today.

Will couldn't have been more shocked to have seen Charlie. Thinking back on the encounter, Will smiled. How like Charlie to just show up one day, he thought. He hasn't changed a bit.

But he has changed, Will remembered, his smile quickly disappearing. Charlie has a girlfriend now. On the way to the airport, Charlie had gone on and on about Liz. The way Charlie had talked about her, Liz sounded perfect. Will wasn't convinced. She sounds like a twit to me, he thought darkly.

Will cared about his friend. He didn't want Charlie to make the mistake of falling in love with some girl who would dump him in a heartbeat. He just couldn't let that happen.

Will snapped back to the present. He was still in Charlie's car, in the middle of the airport parking lot. Will looked impatiently at his watch. God, how long does it take to go into an airport and come back out? Charlie'd been gone for almost an hour.

Right at that moment, Will could see Charlie approaching in the distance, a woman close behind him. Must be perfect Liz... He could tell it would be a long school year.

Charlie took Liz's backpack and small suitcase and stuffed them in the trunk of the car. Liz stood next to the car, uncertain about what to do next. She hadn't expected to be meeting anybody, much less Charlie's "best friend since elementary school." Since the meeting was inevitable, she decided to make the most of it. She put on a smile and prepared herself to make a good first impression.

Charlie came back to her side and grabbed her hand. "Come on, don't just stand there." He led her to the right side of the car. As he did so, the mysterious passenger opened his door and stepped out of the vehicle.

Liz's jaw nearly dropped. Only one thought was left in her head: he's tall. While she had thought Charlie to be fairly decent in height, Charlie could not compare to his friend. What is he? 6'5"? After being stunned by his height, Liz took some time to notice some of his other features. Overall, he seemed pretty lean. His hair was as dark as the night and had a messy look to it. For the second time, Liz froze. His eyes had the most intense shade of green that she had ever seen. From his expression, it seemed that she wasn't the only one to have been unexpectedly surprised.

Charlie cleared his throat. Liz quickly looked away, realizing that she'd been caught staring. Charlie started the introductions. "Liz, this is Will. Will, this is Liz."

Liz tried to give her most winning smile. "Nice to meet you." She extended her right hand as a sign of friendship.

Will looked down at her hand and seemed to hesitate. Finally, he quickly shook her hand and mumbled, "Same here." He then turned around and went back into the Honda.

Liz's smile instantly fell. How rude! What the hell's wrong with him? Who does he think he is? Am I not good enough for him to simply be polite to? Well, fine! Be that way!

Charlie seemed to understand the direction of her thoughts and quickly stepped in to the defense of his friend. "Don't mind Will. He's not really good with strangers. He's just shy..."

Yeah... shy. I bet he is...

Inwardly, Will groaned. I can't believe I just did that. What could he say? Liz had been a shock to him. He certainly hadn't expected her to be the way she was. He'd envisioned her as a blond bombshell or a nice brunette; somebody who was Charlie's type. Instead, he'd met with a fiery redhead.

She was of medium height, but she had an air of easy confidence that made her seem taller. She also had the most beautiful brown eyes he'd ever seen... But, that didn't have anything to do with why he hadn't been able to speak for a few minutes. He'd just been surprised, that was all, he told himself.

Looking back, Will still didn't understand why he hadn't automatically taken Liz's hand when she had offered it. He didn't know why he hadn't just smiled and said Hello like a normal person. He certainly couldn't fathom why he'd quickly retreated back to the car so rudely.

Actually, he did know. There was something about Liz that had intimidated him. He hadn't known how to act and ended up doing what he had always done: making the encounter as short as possible.

Well, what's done is done...

He heard one of the rear passenger doors open, and Liz crawled into the car. Charlie placed himself in the driver's seat. Will looked in his rearview mirror at Liz's reflection. She did not look happy.

"Everybody ready?" asked Charlie, with his usual jovial tone. He seemed oblivious to the moods of his fellow companions. "Alright, then."

They rode in silence. A few times, Charlie attempted to start a conversation. He soon gave up when he realized no one else was interested in talking.

As Charlie neared Will's house, Will saw his opportunity to make amends.

"Hey, it was nice to see you, Will," said Charlie. "It'll be so cool when school starts again. We'll get to hang out, like the old times."

"Yeah, it'll be great." Will looked at Liz. She obviously did not share Charlie's feelings on the subject. She was practically glaring at him. "Well, bye."

Will closed the car door behind him. Liz got out of the back of the car to take his seat. This was his chance to make up for his behavior before. He stood where he was, trying to think of something to say. Liz looked at him expectantly. However, Will couldn't come up with anything, and for the second time, he turned around and left.

So much for making amends...

Well, that was Chapter 1. By the way, the reason why some of the tenses changed in some of the paragraphs is because those sentences were meant to be in italics. Obviously, the italics didn't show up. There was also supposed to be extra space between sections of the chapter. Those didn't show up, either. I hope the story still makes sense, though!


	2. The Preparation

Author's Note: Okay, so this is my first fanfiction story. Tell me what you think. Advice is much appreciated. I hope to be writing more soon.

Disclaimer: I wish I could write like Jane Austen, but I can't.

CHAPTER TWO---THE PREPARATION

"You're going to the party, right?"

"I don't know, Liz. Parties aren't really my thing. I'd rather just stay at home and watch a movie or something. Parties are so... crowded..."

"Jane! You have to go! Come on, it'll be fun," said Liz.

Liz could hear Jane sigh on the other end of the phone. "Okay, okay, fine. I'll go," Jane relented.

Liz squealed with joy. "Thanks, Jane. You're the best. I don't deserve such a great friend."

Jane laughed at Liz's gushing. Though Liz liked to exaggerate, she and Jane were good friends. They hadn't always known each other. It hadn't been until three years before that they had met and bonded while working for Longbourn Books. Only Jane still worked for the small bookstore, but her friendship with Liz remained solid.

"So, what time should I come over?" asked Jane.

"Why don't you come in about twenty minutes? That'll give me enough time to get everything ready," said Liz.

"What do you mean 'get everything ready'?"

"You'll see..." answered Liz in a sly voice. She then hung up the phone. "Sorry, Jane," she said to herself, "I hate to hang up on you... but I can't help myself." She then walked to her closet.

"Let's see... what to wear..." She pulled out some slim, black pants, along with a green tank-top. "Perfect. And now for Jane..." Jane had light-brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes. Pink was, by far, her best color. Liz proceeded to pull out a baby-pink, sleeveless dress from her closet. "Watch out boys..."

After taking a quick shower, Liz put her clothes on. As she adjusted her shirt, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" she yelled. She jogged down her staircase and opened the front door. There stood Jane with a book in one hand and a very large purse in the other.

"What the heck are you doing?" asked Liz, more than slightly amused.

Jane looked down, trying to find out what Liz was referring to. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you doing with a book and a bag the size of Asia?"

"First of all, it's a purse, and the reason it's so big is because there were a few things I wanted to bring along, in case I had extra time. That's also why I brought the book."

Liz couldn't hold her laughter inside any longer. "Jane, it's a PARTY. You're not going to have 'extra time.' You're going to dance the whole night!" Liz grabbed Jane's wrist and dragged her up the stairs.

"I'm going to be WHAT? Liz, I can't dance! How am I supposed to be doing it all night long?"

"Everybody can dance." Liz paused. "Okay, maybe not everybody, but you'll be fine. It's not hard." Liz opened the door to her room and guided Jane inside. "Are you ready to see your outfit?"

"My outfit? What's wrong with what I'm wearing right now?"

Liz glanced at Jane's long-sleeved blouse and long skirt. She chose to ignore the question. "Here. This dress was made for you." Liz handed over the dress. It was obvious that Jane loved it. "Why don't you go try it on while I go do my make-up? I'll do yours when I'm done."

"Alright."

"A party?"

"Yeah... don't you want to go?"

"No."

"Come on, Will. It'll be good for you. It'll give you a chance to meet new people."

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Liz is bringing her friend over. Jane's her name, I think. Who knows? You two might hit it off."

"Charlie, I don't want to go."

"Alright, fine."

"Bye."

Will hung up and sighed. He didn't like parties and never had. They seemed pointless to him. If I want to get drunk and puke all over the place, I'd rather do it in my house than in front of fifty other people, he thought.

He turned on his television and flipped through the channels. After about fifteen minutes of going from channel to channel, Will gave up. Right at that moment, the doorbell rang.

Will stood up and walked to the entrance. He opened the door, and Charlie smiled at him. "Hey! Are you ready?"

Will frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Charlie continued to smile. "I'm taking you to the party."

Will was torn between anger and amusement. "I already told you... I'm not going to that party."

Charlie stood there, still smiling.

Twenty minutes later, Will sat next to Charlie in his little green Honda.

"How is it that you have the ability to drag me anywhere you want?"

Charlie laughed. "It's a gift."

Will mumbled, "It seems more like a curse to me."

"Come on, Will, it's not that bad," said Charlie. "I hear Jane's really pretty."

Will frowned, "Who's Jane again?"

"Liz's friend, remember? They used to work together. From what Liz has told me, Jane sounds like a knockout. She's smart, too, apparently."

Will gave a grim smile. I'm sure Liz would just love it if I started dating her friend, he thought.

Charlie pulled into a long driveway leading to a huge house. Cars were everywhere. Lights illuminated the mansion. Even from inside the car, Charlie and Will could hear the thumping rhythm of music.

"We're here," said Charlie.

I was originally going to write the actual party as part of Chapter 2. Instead, I decided to post what I already had and make the party its own chapter. Hope you like it! Thanks to my reviewers. Please keep writing to me! (I tried to correct some of my mistakes. Sorry if I missed some!)


	3. The Party

Author's Note: Okay, so this is my first fanfiction story. Tell me what you think. Advice is much appreciated. I hope to be writing more soon.

Disclaimer: I wish I could write like Jane Austen, but I can't.

CHAPTER THREE---THE PARTY

"Liz, I don't think I can wear this dress. It's way too short."

"Well, you ARE wearing that dress, and it's not too short. It's absolutely perfect. It shows off your lovely legs."

"Liz! I don't want my legs to be shown off!"

"Well, too bad, Jane! I am NOT driving back to my house in order for you to change! So, you'll just have to go in with that dress on or walk around naked. Those are your only choices. Personally, I'd pick number one."

Jane gave a deep sigh and stretched her dress, hoping that it would cover more flesh. At the same time, she and Liz walked up the driveway belonging to the house they found themselves facing.

"Wow. I wish I had a house like that," said Jane.

"Don't we all? Come on, let's go inside."

Jane followed Liz to the beautiful entrance. "Whose house is this?"

"Caroline Wickham. She's a real snob, and general pain in the ass, but she throws great parties." Liz gave a wicked smile.

"Liz! I can't believe you can say that about somebody!" Jane sounded outraged.

Liz laughed. "I speak the truth! Hurry up, though. The party's already started."

Liz rang the doorbell, and the door was immediately opened by a petite woman that looked to be in her early twenties. She seemed very eager to meet her visitors. She reminded Liz of an overly excited puppy.

"Hi! Are you some of Caroline's friends? Come on in! I'm so happy to meet you! I'm Lydia, by the way. Lydia Wickham." She giggled. "That name still sounds so funny to me. Even after three months of marriage I'm still not quite used to it. I'm Caroline's stepmother, in case you didn't know. And you are...?"

Lydia's enthusiasm stunned both Liz and Jane for a moment and prevented them from answering her question. Just as Liz was about to introduce herself, a voice from behind Lydia asked, "Who are you talking to, Lydia?"

Lydia giggled. "I was just about to find out."

The owner of the voice stepped forward. There stood a tall man with a hint of gray in his hair. He smiled at Jane and Liz. "Hello. I'm Mr. Wickham, Caroline's father. Who might you be?"

Liz was the first to speak up. "I'm Liz, and this is my friend Jane."

Jane smiled politely. "How do you do?"

Mr. Wickham gave a warm smile. "It's a pleasure meeting you both."

Right as his words were spoken, a shrill voice yelled, "Daddy! What are you doing?"

"I was saying hello to some of your friends."

"Don't talk to my friends! You'll ruin EVERYTHING! Don't you want me to have a good party?" The question had a ring of false innocence to it.

"Of course, sweetheart. Lydia and I were just about to leave. Come on, Lydia, let's go." Mr. Wickham grabbed his wife and then turned toward his daughter. "Have fun, darling." He and Lydia proceeded out the doorway.

"Well they took their time, didn't they? They were supposed to have left half an hour ago! But, LYDIA had to do her hair... Anyway, how are you Liz?"

It was obvious to Liz that Caroline didn't care one way or the other. "I'm fine, thanks. This is Jane."

Caroline looked at Jane. "Nice to meet you. I'm Caroline."

Jane gave a genuine smile and a nod.

"Well, go on and join the party. Everybody's already here." The last statement was a clear insult that Liz did not miss.

Liz simply replied by saying, "Oh, you know how I love to be fashionably late." She then turned away from Caroline and went into the first room on her right.

The place was packed. For such a huge house, there was very limited space available. Liz made her way across the room to the other side while Jane followed behind her. The music was blasting from large speakers.

Liz turned around. "I'm going to go find Charlie."

Jane frowned. "What?"

Liz spoke louder than the first time. "I'm going to try to find Charlie, okay?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Dance around, talk to people, have fun..." Liz started to walk away. She heard Jane yell her name, but Liz just ignored her. She kept walking, searching for Charlie's face. Instead she found...

"Will!" She was so surprised to see him that she'd accidentally said his name. He looked up at the sound of his name. Now what do I do, Liz asked herself. "Uhh... what are you doing here?"

"Charlie brought me."

"Oh." Liz looked around the room, not knowing what to say. Then, she remembered what she'd been doing in the first place. "Do you know where Charlie is?"

"No. He said he was going to go look for you."

Figures, thought Liz. She was just about to leave when Will stopped her. "I see him. He's right over there, dancing with... somebody."

Liz looked in the direction of the dancing couple and exclaimed, with some surprise, "That's Jane!"

After a few moments of confusion, Will finally recognized the name. "She's your friend, right?"

"Yeah... she is." Liz seemed a little distracted. She started to make her way toward Charlie and Jane. Will followed.

As they got closer to the two, Will was finally able to get a good look at Jane. "Wow. She is pretty."

Liz turned around. "What?"

Will decided not to repeat what he'd said. "Never mind."

When they finally reached Jane and Charlie, Liz loudly said, "Charlie! There you are! I've been looking all over for you."

Charlie turned to look at Liz. His expression turned to one of guilt. "Hey! Have you been having fun so far?"

Liz's smile had an evident layer of anger beneath it. "Oh yeah, it's been a blast."

Will looked from Charlie to Liz to Jane, who seemed to be completely confused. What was going on finally dawned on him. Oh no, he thought, somebody's jealous.

The tension was mounting, and Will knew he had to do something. Quickly, he turned and faced Jane. "Hi. I don't think we've met. My name is Will."

Jane seemed grateful for the distraction. "Hi. I'm Jane."

"Jane?" asked a surprised Charlie.

"Yes. Jane. My friend." Liz spoke each word individually. Charlie paled as he began to understand the situation he'd put himself in. Liz looked at Jane as she said, "And this is my BOYFRIEND, Charlie."

Jane's look of confusion began to disappear and was replaced by a deep blush. "Oh."

Liz continued to speak. "So, what I'd like to know is why the two of you were dancing together!"

"Well..." said Jane.

"You see..." said Charlie.

Liz walked away angrily before any more explanations could be given. Charlie went after her. "Liz! Come back! You're overreacting!"

If it hadn't been for the looks on Charlie and Jane's faces, Will would have agreed with Charlie. However, he'd seen what he'd seen. He almost laughed. And he'd thought Liz would be the one breaking Charlie's heart.

Jane remained frozen, tears just waiting to be shed.

Will cleared his throat. "Are you okay?"

She looked over at him. "Oh my gosh, I've just made a mess of things."

"It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"But it is my fault. If I hadn't come, none of this would have happened." She then started to cry.

Will tried to reassure her. "Don't worry. It's not that bad. After all, all you did with him was dance, right?" They both knew it had been more than a dance.

Charlie started to walk back toward them. Jane quickly wiped away her tears. Charlie looked nothing like himself; he seemed worn out. "Well, Liz left. She wouldn't listen to me." He paused. Without looking directly at Jane, he asked, "Do you need a ride home?"

"Yes. I came with Liz."

"Where do you live?"

"Maple Street. Number 327."

"Okay. I guess we might as well go now."

All three left the party and piled into Charlie's car. Awkward silence filled the air. Charlie finally spoke and asked Jane, "Did you leave anything at Liz's house?"

Jane sighed. "Just a few things. Nothing very important... except for my papers. Oh no!"

Charlie frowned. "Are they important?"

"Yes. If I don't finish them and turn them in by Monday, I could get fired!" Jane looked very distressed. "After tonight, I doubt Liz will talk to me, much less let me go into her house to get my papers back."

"I don't think she wants to talk to me, either."

Suddenly, both Charlie and Jane glanced at Will.

"What?" asked Will.

Well, I hope you all liked this chapter. Thank you for all reviews. I'll try to update as soon as I can.


	4. The Visit

Author's Note: Okay, so this is my first fanfiction story. Tell me what you think. Advice is much appreciated. I hope to be writing more soon.

Disclaimer: I wish I could write like Jane Austen, but I can't.

CHAPTER FOUR---THE VISIT

Will got out of his car and checked the address. I guess this is the place, he thought to himself. He walked up the small steps leading to the door and knocked.

I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought. If it wasn't for Charlie, none of this would have happened. Will tried to stay angry at his friend. He couldn't.

Liz opened the door. Her eyes were red, and she looked incredibly tired. Instead of being surprised by his appearance, like she had been the night before, she seemed to have almost expected him. "What do you want?"

Will decided mentioning Jane or Charlie right away was probably not the smartest thing to do. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

Liz had not anticipated that answer. "I'm fine."

"That's good." Will didn't know what to do next. "Can I come in?"

Liz seemed to hesitate. Will knew why. "Look, about that first day... I'm sorry I was so rude to you. I truly apologize."

"Apology accepted." She opened the door wider. "Come on in."

Will walked through the door and looked at his surroundings. The interior of the house had a nice, homey feeling. Fresh flowers filled the house. The walls were painted sunshine yellow. I wouldn't mind living in this house, thought Will.

Liz led him to the living room. She pointed to a comfy-looking couch. "Why don't you sit down?"

"Thanks."

A long pause followed. Will cleared his throat and was about to ask for Jane's papers when a voice interrupted him.

"Liz! I have some ice-cream for you! It's mint chocolate chip, your favorite. You'll feel much better after you've had so-- oh hello." The woman, who was obviously Liz's mother, stopped at the sight of Will.

Liz got out of her chair, looking extremely embarrassed. "Mom, this is Will. Will, this is my mom."

Liz's mother smiled and offered her hand, much like Liz had when he'd first met her. "Pleased to meet you."

Will didn't hesitate this time. He took her hand and said, "Nice to meet you, too, Mrs... um..."

"Oh, sorry. I should have introduced myself. I'm Georgiana Darcy. Feel free to call me Georgiana."

"Alright... Georgiana."

Mrs. Darcy smiled. "Well, I'll leave you two to what you were doing. Just call if you need anything."

"Thanks, Mom."

Will and Liz were left alone once again.

Liz spoke first. "I really appreciate you coming over. It really means a lot to me."

Will smiled. "Anytime."

Liz returned the smile. "You know, when I first saw you at my door, I thought you just came because Charlie had made you or something like that."

Will looked guilty. "Well, actually, there was one other reason why I came over..." He tried to think of a good way to put it but failed. He settled for the plain truth. "Jane left some really important papers over here, and she asked me to get them for her..."

Liz's expression quickly turned to one of anger. "Oh, I get it. That was the OTHER reason you came over. I bet it was!"

Will tried to fix the situation. "It's not like that--"

"YES IT IS! Why do people keep pretending things aren't the way they are?"

"Look, I'm--"

"I don't want to hear it!" Liz pushed Will toward the door. "Now get out of my house!"

Before Will could even speak, she interrupted him. "And you can tell Jane that if she wants those papers, she can get them herself!"

Liz tried to slam the door on him, but he stopped it before it could close. "I will tell her that, but before I do, I'll tell you something first. Jane is in her room right now, crying her eyes out. As for Charlie, he looks like he hasn't slept in days. You might want to think about that for a while." He then turned and walked back to his car.

She closed the door and started to cry silently.

"What was all that noise? Did that nice boy leave?" Mrs. Darcy saw her daughter cry and walked to her with sympathy and concern. "Oh, honey, what happened?"

Liz dried her tears. "Nothing. It's nothing."

She walked up the stairs leading to her room and left her mother slightly confused.

She knew what Will had said was true, but her pride wouldn't let her admit it. She looked at her desk, where Jane's things rested. She knew what she had to do. She grabbed them, along with her keys. As she walked back down the stairs, she told her mother, "I'll be right back, okay?" She didn't wait for an answer.

Once in the driver's seat, she took a deep, calming breath. She turned the key and drove to Jane's house.

The ride wasn't long, and she soon came to Jane's door. Liz knew she wasn't ready to speak to Jane yet. She left Jane's belongings in front of her door and rang the doorbell. She quickly ran back to her car.

As she got ready to drive away from the house, Liz saw Jane come out the door. At first, Jane looked confused. She obviously had expected somebody to be at the door. Then, she noticed Liz's car and Liz herself. Their eyes met. Both pairs were red and wet. Liz had to look away. She started the car and didn't look back again.

I am so sorry I haven't written in such a long time! I know this is a short chapter, and I'm sorry. I probably won't be able to update soon, either. sad face I'll try my best, though. Keep sending reviews!


	5. The Discussions

Author's Note: Okay, so this is my first fanfiction story. Tell me what you think. Advice is much appreciated. I hope to be writing more soon.

Disclaimer: I wish I could write like Jane Austen, but I can't.

CHAPTER FIVE---THE DISCUSSIONS

"I hate to ask, but what exactly happened at the party?"

Charlie sighed. "To be honest, I have no idea. I left you to go find Liz, but on my way, I saw the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I didn't even know I was walking in her direction until I was standing right in front of her. She looked so lost... I just wanted to... I don't know... make her feel better. Next thing I knew, she and I were dancing." Charlie sighed again. "And then about halfway through the song, I heard Liz calling my name. It was like a cold shower, waking me up. I didn't know what to do or how to explain what was going on. I didn't even know what was going on."

Silence followed.

Charlie continued. "It's been a week now since Liz and I have talked. School's starting in two weeks, and I don't know what to do." He started to become angry. "You know, all I did was dance with her friend. I was just being nice. You'd think she'd be grateful."

"Bitterness doesn't become you, Charlie," said Will.

"I know. I just feel like I'm getting blamed for things I didn't do."

"Talk to her, then."

"I can't. I've tried to call, but she won't pick up the phone."

"Try to visit."

Charlie snorted. "Like she'd let me in..."

"You never know... Well, I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

Charlie stared outside his window. August was starting to come to an end, but summer still dominated the landscape. Vibrant green decorated the trees. Flowers dotted the hillside. The river gleamed in the bright sunshine. Charlie did not notice any of those things. He was too engrossed in his own thoughts.

Something had happened when he'd met Jane. He couldn't describe it for the life of him, but it had happened all the same. He'd been drawn to her, and he hadn't been able to stop himself from going to her. In such a short period of time, things had become so complicated. What was to be done?

The ringing of his phone snapped him out of his reverie. "Hello?" he asked.

No one answered. He asked again, "Hello?"

Just as he was about to hang up, a voice spoke. "Hi. It's Liz."

Charlie couldn't have been more surprised. "Hi!" He found he had no idea what else to say. "How are you?"

"Not too good, actually, but I'm pretty sure you already knew that."

What could he say to that?

Liz cleared her throat. "Look, I didn't call to blame you. But, we do need to talk about what happened."

"Nothing happened!"

"Oh, really?" The comment hung in the air. "Don't lie to me, Charlie. Don't lie to yourself, either. It won't help anybody."

"So what do you want to talk about?"

"Where we stand." Pause. "Honestly, I'm still really pissed off. So, I guess I just need a little space for a while so I can cool off. Maybe then we can be friends."

"Maybe?"

"Yeah, maybe." Liz took a deep breath. "Look, I'll call you later. Bye."

"Bye."

Charlie felt empty. He'd never thought of the possibility that he and Liz would no longer be friends. Now, that possibility seemed about to become a reality. He thought of Jane. Had Liz given her the same speech? He hoped not.

He hadn't spoken to Jane since he'd given her a ride home. He longed to talk to her and yet feared to at the same time. What could he say to her? I'm sorry I started this whole mess?

That'd be a start, at least, he told himself.

He dialed the number he'd looked up in the phone book. His heart started to beat faster. After a few rings, Jane's quiet voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hey! This is Charlie." His voice sounded a bit unnatural.

"Hi, Charlie." She sounded happy to hear from him. "How are you?"

The question reminded him of his previous conversation. "I've been better, but I'm okay. How are you?"

"The same, pretty much."

Neither one wanted to talk about the party or Liz. They both avoided those subjects. As a result, silence dominated the moment.

"So, what are you up to?" asked Charlie.

"Oh, I'm just doing a bit of reading."

"Big reader, huh?"

Jane laughed, a little self-consciously. "Yeah. Reading lets me escape into a different world. I can forget myself and become somebody else."

"That's how I've always felt about movies."

That comment caught Jane's attention. "You like movies?"

Charlie laughed. "That's an understatement. Movies are my passion."

"Are you considering a movie-making career, then?"

Charlie sighed. "I've always wanted to be a film director, but there seems to be a very low chance of that happening."

"Why? I'm sure you'd make a great director."

"Well, I'm not convinced about that. But enough about me, what kind of career are you considering?"

"Well... um... actually, I've always wanted to be an actress."

"Really?"

"It's just a silly, childish dream." From the tone of her voice, Charlie knew that wasn't the case.

"Oh, I get it. I'm supposed to be a first-class film director, but your dream of being an actress is totally ridiculous."

Jane laughed. "Well, I didn't quite mean it that way... Oh no! I'm almost late for work!"

Disappointment washed over Charlie. He didn't want the conversation to end. "Have fun at work. Maybe we could get together sometime and talk some more." The last sentence was almost a question.

Though Charlie couldn't see it, Jane smiled. "I'd like that."

I tried to write this chapter as fast as I possibly could. I've had so much homework lately that I haven't really been able to write. This should be the worst week, though, so I should be able to make more chapters soon. Big smile. Please keep writing those reviews!


	6. The Meeting

Author's Note: Okay, so this is my first fanfiction story. Tell me what you think. Advice is much appreciated. I hope to be writing more soon.

Disclaimer: I wish I could write like Jane Austen, but I can't.

CHAPTER SIX---THE MEETING

Liz heard a knock at her door.

"Come in."

"Hi, honey. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine, Mom."

Mrs. Darcy sat down next to her daughter. "Liz, you've been depressed for over a week now. Tell me what happened."

Liz sighed. "Jane and I went to Caroline Wickham's party. I was going to meet Charlie there, and we were all going to hang out. But, things didn't quite end up that way. To make a long story short, Jane and Charlie ended up together. So, I'm now no longer speaking to my two best friends. Well, they were my two best friends..."

Georgiana frowned. "What do you mean, they ended up together?"

"I saw them dancing together."

"Is that all that happened?" Georgiana asked, perplexed.

"Well, yeah, but if you'd seen the way they were looking at each other..."

"Well honey, you did give Jane and Charlie a chance to explain themselves, right?" From Liz's expression, Georgiana knew that wasn't the case. "Alright, look, I wasn't there, so I don't know what you saw. But, it sounds to me like a big misunderstanding. Have you talked to either Jane or Charlie since the party?"

"I talked to Charlie briefly. That conversation didn't really go very well."

"And Jane?"

A lump of guilt stuck in Liz's throat. "No, I haven't talked to her since."

Georgiana looked at her daughter. "You've been friends with Charlie and Jane both for a long time. Don't let that crumble now just because of a ridiculous dance."

"Thanks for the advice, Mom."

"Sure thing." With that, her mother left the room.

Thoughts began to crowd her mind. What have I done? Did I really imagine what happened between Jane and Charlie? No, there was a definite connection there. Still I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. But Charlie was MY boyfriend. He wasn't supposed to have a connection with anybody else... especially not Jane. So, yeah, I got jealous. What can I say?

These thoughts had all plagued Liz for so long; she had to escape from them. She grabbed her jacket and left her room.

"I'm going for a walk!" she yelled as she made her way to the door.

"Alright," responded her mother.

The moment Liz went outside, she immediately felt better. There was just something so relaxing and peaceful about being outdoors. All ties and obligations seemed far away.

Liz walked past her neighbors' houses to the public park. Anytime she'd had troubles, she had always come to the park. It was her refuge. Nowhere else did she feel so safe and comfortable.

Small children played and laughed around her. She almost wished she was their age again. To be so young and innocent and carefree.

She sat on a swing. The swings had always been her favorite. Going back and forth and back and forth. Though she had come here to leave her thoughts behind, they still remained firmly in her mind.

Liz sighed. She looked around, hoping something would distract her. And something did.

Opposite from her, sitting on a bench, was Will. He seemed to be concentrating intensely on a book.

Liz considered making a quick getaway and avoiding Will completely. She decided against it, however. After all, she'd behaved terribly at their last meeting; she should apologize (again). Though she wouldn't admit it, she was also lonely. Talking to Will was better than not talking to anybody.

She rose from her seat and walked in Will's direction.

"Hey, Will. What are you up to?"

"Reading." He didn't even look up as he answered.

Liz didn't know if that was a hint for her to leave him alone or if he was just answering honestly. "Look... could I talk to you for a second?"

Will seemed to sense the direction Liz's thoughts were going. He put down his book. "Sure."

She took a deep breath. "The last time we talked... things didn't go well. I was angry and upset, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry. God, I'm apologizing a lot these days..."

"It's okay. No hard feelings." He returned to his book.

Liz became a little disappointed that the conversation ended so abruptly. She decided to make it a little longer. "So, what are you reading?"

"Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell."

Liz laughed.

Will looked at her, bewildered. "What?"

"Nothing." She continued to smile.

"Don't give me that. There was obviously something that struck you as funny. What is it?"

"It's just that I didn't peg you as that kind of person."

Will looked interested. "What kind of person did you think I was exactly?"

Liz faltered. "I don't know."

That statement seemed to fill the air around them. The moment was frozen. Will broke the spell and looked at the darkening sky. "Well, I've got to go. Nice talking to you."

Liz smiled. "Yeah, same here."

She watched as Will walked away.

I must admit, Liz is not quite like Elizabeth. She is a little more... unstable. lol Also, I SHOULD have had something more drastic happen at the dance. Sorry. I hope you'll forgive all of my failings as a writer. By the way, Sarah Vowell is an awesome writer. She writes quirky, many times political, short stories. I highly recommend reading some of her books. Anyway, keep those reviews coming!


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